Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Geography

International Trade

International trade involves buying and selling goods from and to other countries.

External Debt

External debt refers to the money a country owes to external creditors.

Balance of Trade

Balance of trade reflects the difference between a country's exports and imports. If a country exports more than it imports, it has a trade surplus (positive balance). Conversely, if imports exceed exports, it results in a trade deficit (negative balance).

Systems of Agriculture

Crop Diversity

• Single crop (monoculture): This system involves cultivating only one type of crop.
• Multiple crops (polyculture): This system involves growing more than one product simultaneously.

Water Use

• Irrigated lands: These lands require artificial irrigation in addition

Environment and Development: The Basic Issues

The livelihood depends on agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, fishing, forestry, and foraging. The interaction between poverty and environmental degradation can lead to a self-perpetuating process. Result of ignorance or destroy or exhaust the resources.

National Level

Environmental costs are not considered in the calculations of GNI. Damage to soil, water supplies, and forests resulting from unsustainable methods of production can greatly reduce long-term national productivity but have a positive impact on current GNI figures.

Global Level

Growing consumption needs of people in developing and the developed world may have global implications as well:

• Destruction of rainforests
• Climate change

Climate... Continue reading "Environmental Accounting and Sustainable Development" »

The Rise of the Inca Empire

Around 1500, during the mid-fourteenth century, a small tribe rose from obscurity in the highlands of modern Peru to create one of the mightiest empires of Ancient America.

Early Inca Life and Development

• Around 2500 BCE, they had a village life. Their traditions originated on the coast, based on fishing, cultivating, and food gathering.
• After centuries of simple village life, a strong cultural advance began about 900 BCE, associated with progress in agriculture due to population pressure.

Cultural and Technological Advancements

• They developed a distinctive style in building, art, and ceramics, called Chavín.
• The Mochica culture built pyramids, temples, and large irrigation canals, evolving into a highly complex society.

What are Economic Activity?

- It is what is carried out by humans in order to acquire goods to satisfy the material needs of humans

What are Economic Goods and How Can They be Classified?

- Products and services generated by economic activity

• Composition
• Function
• Ownership

What are the Factors of Production?

- The resources that are required for the generation of economic goods

Types and Subtypes of Production Factors

- Natural resources: Resources provided by nature that can be used for production

• Renewable: Resources that will never be wasted
• Particularly renewable: Resources whose waste depends on their use
• Non-renewable: Resources that are always wasted

- Human resources: People who convert natural resources into economic goods

- Capital: Made up of material,... Continue reading "Understanding Economic Activity and Production Factors" »

TERTIARY SECTOR

The Growth of the Service Sector

The service sector encompasses a wide range of activities, including education, tourism, and more. In developed countries, it contributes significantly to both employment and wealth generation. The number of people employed in this sector has also increased in less developed countries. Developments such as globalization, economic changes, and increased trade have led many to speak of a "tertiary revolution."

The High-End Tertiary or Quaternary Sector

This sector includes activities related to technology and science, often requiring specialized training and offering high salaries.

The Low-End Tertiary Sector

This sector encompasses jobs that require minimal training and typically offer lower wages.... Continue reading "Understanding the Tertiary Sector: A Comprehensive Guide" »

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the relationship between Posidonia and Caulerpa?
2. Which factors influence human impact on the environment?
3. Which are the main threats to the environment?
4. How do we prevent environmental degradation? (Draw a mind map for the next session)

1. What’s an Ecological Footprint?

The idea of an ecological footprint is basically a measure of how much area is needed to support our lifestyles, how much land is needed to produce all the things we consume, and what is needed to clean up our waste.

Act.3. International Agreements on the Environment

a) Numerous international agreements have been signed aimed at protecting the environment, including agreements to combat climate change; protect the Earth´s ozone layer, manage... Continue reading "Environmental Sustainability: Threats, Impact, and Solutions" »

Humans Along with Living Organisms Form a Complex Web of Ecological System

Humans along with other living organisms form a complex web of ecological systems in which we are only a part and very much dependent on this system for our own existence. For example, plants, animals, and micro-organisms recreate the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that produces our food without which we cannot survive. Forests play a key role in the ecological system as they are also the primary producers on which all other living beings depend. Biodiversity or biological diversity is immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated species, diverse in form and function but closely integrated in a system through multiple networks of interdependencies.

Travel and Tourism Definitions

Understanding common terms in the travel and tourism industry:

• Trip

  A journey in which you visit a place for a short time and return.

• Journey

  An act of traveling from one place to another.

• Tourism

  The activity of people traveling to different places for enjoyment.

• Traveler

  A person who travels or who often travels.

• Tourist

  A person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure.

• Tour

  A journey for pleasure in which several different places are visited.

• Vacation

  A period of rest taken as a holiday, for a short or long time.

• Hotel

  An establishment providing accommodation, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.

• Taxation

  When a government or taxing authority imposes or levies a tax.

Understanding Migration Dynamics

Effects

Technological Progress: The invention of new machines enabled factories to produce goods more quickly and cheaply. Decreased prices benefited consumers. The invention of the steam engine was particularly important, revolutionizing many sectors of the economy.

Favorable Political and Social Structure: Great Britain's parliamentary monarchy allowed the bourgeoisie to participate in government and political decision-making. This social group promoted measures that advanced its economic interests.

Textile Industry: Technological innovations in spinning and weaving machines increased production.

Iron and Steel Production: New machines led to better quality and lower prices.

Transport: The steam engine revolutionized communications through its application... Continue reading "The Industrial Revolution: Causes, Impact, and Social Changes" »

Colonial imperialism originated due to the necessity of industrialized countries in Europe to find new markets where they could sell their industrial production, obtain raw materials, and invest their excess capital. Additionally, the economic changes during the 19th century stimulated population growth and emigration. Imperial expansion also occurred as industrial powers sought to increase their political power and hinder their competitors' expansion. This entire process was legitimized by racist and nationalist conceptions held by scientists, writers, and politicians, who justified the colonization of other villages based on their perceived inferiority to the white race and the need to civilize them.